Axially oscillating horizontal centrifuge



g- 2, 1956 K. GOLUCKE ETAL 3,263,815

AXIALLY OSCILLATING HORIZONTAL CENTRIFUGE Filed Jan. 25, 1963 85 w": m 7 m m v Java m Mm United States Patent 3,263,815 AXIALLY OSCILLATING HORIZONTAL CENTRIFUGE Karl Goliicke, Bensberg, near Cologne, and Wolfgang Gertrud Joseph Heckmann, Cologne-Dellbruck, Germany, assignors to Kliiekner-Humboldt-Deutz Aktiengesellschaft, Cologne-Deutz, Germany Filed Jan. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 253,912 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 17, 1962, K 45,921 3 (Zlaims. (Cl. 210-370) The invention relates to an oscillating centrifuge for desiccatin'g fine-grain, wet materials. More particularly, it is concerned with a centrifuge of the kind described which has a screen drum supported at two locations, the wet substance to be centrifuged being continuously introduced through a stationary supply conduit.

In vibrating centrifuges of the prior art a perforated drum or basket is journaled on a shaft which extends through the entire structure. Such a shaft has an axial bore. and apertures therein through which the material to be desiccated is fed to the drum. In prior art of this type a stationary feed conduit is employed for introducing the material.

It is the object of the present invention to obviate the necessity of such a shaft which is subject to relatively high wear.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved mounting for a centrifuge drum on a trunnion, whereby the centrifuge is better adapted for operation under varying load conditions.

Another object is to provide a resilient drum support adapted for positive transmission of rotary and independent vibratory motion thereto.

A further object of th invention is to provide for a centrifuge with an improved material feed means.

A still further object is to provide a screen drum or basket which facilitates passage therethrough of the wet materials to be treated, without impediment or damming the-rein.

The above and other objects are attained by supporting the drum at the end having the smaller diameter, where the wet material is introduced, over a trunnion. In addition the other or material outlet end is connected with a cylindrical member through the intermediary of a frustoconical member having ribs or brackets attached thereto. The cylindrical member is utilized to provide for rotational power transmission to the drum. It is a particular advantage of this arrangement that the material to be desiccated or dried can be directly introduced into the drum, rather than through a feed pipe to the drum.

It is a further feature of the invention that concentric, annular resilient connecting members are employed to journal the centrifuge drum both on the trunnion and on the cylindrical member. This provides for resilient support of the drum on said members, making it practically insensitive to out-of-balance forces.

Preferably, the ribs are secured to the drum at a location spaced apart from the material outlet end. Such an arrangement provides for the power to be transmitted to the drum for its rotation and also for its axial vibration over a part only of the drum length, that is, over part of the drum envelope. The latter can, therefore, be made relatively thin and light.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better nnderstood, by reference to the following detailed description, when considered with the accompanying drawing, the sole figure of which shows a somewhat schematic sectional side view of a centrifuge according to the invention.

3 ,263,815 Patented August 2, 1966 The centrifuge comprises a conical, perforated drum or basket 1, the outer envelope of which consists of two adjoining sections 2 and 3. As viewed in the drawing, the material is introduced at the right-hand inlet end of the drum from where it advances, owing to the drum rotation and vibration, to the left-hand discharge end. The inlet-end envelope section 2 is releasably linked to the outlet-end section 3 by means of an annular member 4.

The generat'rix of section 2 is flatter with respect to the horizontal than that of section 3. The respective angles between the horizontal and said sections 2, 3 may, for example be 5 and 10", respectively. However these angles may be changed to accommodate various operating conditions.

The drum 1 is supported at the end having the smaller diameter by a stationary, hollow trunnion 7 through the intermediary of a resilient annular member 5 and a bearing 6 to allow both rotation and axial reciprocation of the drum. This is the end through which the material is introduced into the centrifuge. The drum 1 has an inner truncated cone 8 connected thereto, proximate its other end through the utilization of ribs or brackets 9 and the annular member 4.

The attachment of ribs 9 to the member 4, which is preferably provided intermediate the envelope sections 2, 3, that is, in a spaced-apart relationship from the outlet end of drum 1, enables the power required for rotating and vibrating the same to be transmitted over a portion of the envelope rather than over the entire length. The envelope may be made relatively thin, therefore, since less stress is required for application to said envelope. Ribs 9 and cone 8 as employed to journal drum 1 on another hollow trunnion 13 by the intermediary of cylindrical resilient connecting members 10, a cylindrical member 11 and another bearing 12. These elements, too, allow rotation and axial vibration of the system. The trunnions 7, '13 are rigidly secured to a foundation or base frame 14 to which further reference will be made hereinbelow.

The truncated cone 8 is connected to a cover 15 which, in turn, is linked to adapter sockets 16, 17. The connecting members 10 are firmly clamped between sockets 16, 17, and the hollow cylindrical member 11. The latter carries a pulley 18 adapted to be driven by a V-belt from a conventional motor (neither the V-belt nor the motor are shown), providing rotational movement for the member 11 and the drum 1.

A crank 19 passes through the hollow trunnion 13 and is eccentrically secured, at one end, to shaft 23 while the other end is rotatably attached to a housing 20. A disc 21 is secured to said housing and is held between two annular, resilient connecting members 22 serving as a loose coupling between the spaced-apart portions of cover 15 and socket 17 for which members 22 function as braces. The shaft 23 has a pulley 24 thereon which is connected to a motor 26 by means of a V-belt 25. This provides for axial reciprocation of the drum or basket structure 1.

The base frame 14 is supported by resilient cushions or blocks 27, two of which are being shown. The base frame also carries a centrifuge enclosure 28 which is preferably open at its bottom but otherwise enclosed to thereby surround the drum 1 in spaced-apart concentric relationship. The enclosure 28 includes a separator plate or wall 29 therein which engages, with a slight play, a ring member 30 secured to the outlet end of the drum 1. The wall 29 divides the enclosures 28 into chambers 31, 32; the former is reinforced by a partition wall 33.

As shown in the illustration, the material to be processed is introduced into the drum through a supply conduit 34 which passes axially through the stationary trunnion 7. An elbow 36 and a funnel 35 are connected to the outer end of conduit 34 to facilitate passage of'the material thereto. A disc 37 closes the inner end of conduit 34 inside the drum 1 and limits regularly spaced-apart lateral apertures 38 of the conduit, through which the Wet granular substance to be centrifuged is uniformly distributed inside the rotating and oscillating drum.

An annular Wall 39 limits the inlet end of the drum -1 around the conduit 34; the wall is preferably welded to section 2 of the drum 1 and is also fastened, eg by means of screws, to a flange 40 surrounding the resilient member 5. This-structure provides means for enclosing the inlet end of the drum and support with respect to trunnion 7.

The rotational torque derived from the pulley 18 and introduced into the cylindrical member 11 is'resiliently transmitted through connecting members 10, thence through adapter sockets 16, 17 and cover 15 to the conical member 8. The torque is finally transmitted to the drum through ribs 9. The drum will then rotate substantially in unison with the member 11. The resilient members 5, 10 are connected to the centrifuge drum 1 and the frame 14 to form a two-mass system. Thus, the frame 14 will be subjected to substantially oppositely directed vibrations when the drum 1 is set into axial vibration by means of the eccentric drive 23-26. The members 5, 10 are subjected to tangential stress so that inertial forces are properly balanced and compensated for. Thus members 5, 10 are connected to allow the transmission of both oscillatory and rotational motion to the drum.

It has been found most advantageous to rotate the drum at about 400 revolutions per minute. The drum periphery or envelope thus presents a centrifugal force averaging about 70 times the gravitational force. Simultaneously the drum is subjected to axial vibrations with a frequency of, say, 30 cycles per second and an amplitude of approximately 3 millimeters.

The wet substance to be desiccated or dehydrated, e.g. coarse mineral-coal slurry having a coal particle size in the range of to 2 millimeters, and a moisture content of approximately 50% by weight, is fed continuously through the elements 34-36. Materials can be supplied to the centrifuge without preliminary desiccation or concentration, and efiiciently processed therein in a single pass and without any subsequent processing steps.

The major portion of the water contained in the slurry is expelled through the perforations of the drum section 2 owing to centrifugal forces while the centrifuge is in operation. The oscillating motion simultaneously imparted to the drum through the eccentric drive impels the residual slurry progressively forward toward section 3 of the drum while being continuously desiccated. The residue reaching presents greater frictional resistance to section 3, due to its higher density, than it did to section 2. Although the former section has a steeper inclination, the slurry movement will be considerably lower, due to the higher resistance, as it approaches the discharge end of the drum.

Desiccation, therefore, is provided continuously during this process. The relatively dry coal particles eventually leave the open end of the drum section 3 and are discharged from chamber 32, in the direction illustrated by arrow 48, into a suitable receptacle (not shown). The water which passes through drum section 2 reaches the right-hand portion of chamber 31 from which it may pass, in the direction of arrow 46, toward a drain or the like (not illustrated). The left-hand portion of chamber 31 beyond the partition wall 33 may have a separate discharge, denoted by arrow 47.

The annular member is designed to allow both the envelope sections 2, 3 and the ribs 9 to be easily attached thereto. During the operation of the unit the member 4 forms a step over which the material passing from section 2 to section 3 is intermixed thereby allowing the layers of slurry formed in section 2 to be shifted with respect to each other. The graded transition between said sections efliciently aids in desiccating the wet granular materials fed into the centrifuge drum.

The ribs 9 have a narrow cross section thereby pre senting no consequential impediment to the processed materials. These ribs, preferably resembling wedgeshaped elements, do not obstruct the passage of the slurry and, in particular, do not cause any damming up at those points.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example described which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A centrifuge comprising a pair of coaxial mutually spaced stationary trunnions, said trunnions having a common horizontal axis, an elongated rotary perforated tapered drum extending between said trunnions and having an axis coinciding with the common axis of said trunnions, a pair of bearing means respectively surrounding and freely rotatable with respect to said trunnions and operatively connected to said drum to support the latter for rotation about its axis, said drum, having in its interior an elongated completely unobstructed portion extending along its axis, and drive means for rotating said drum and for axially reciprocating the same, said drive means being connected to said drum through one of said bearing means.

2. A centrifuge as recited in claim 1 and wherein the trunnion surrounded by said one bearing means is hollow and wherein said drive means includes structure extending through said hollow trunnion for axially reciprocating said drum.

3. A centrifuge as recited in claim 2 and wherein the other of said trunnions is also hollow andhas a pair of opposed open ends, and a supply tube extending through the latter trunnion for supplying to the interior of said drum material to be treated therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,098 2/1949 Hentrich 210 7s 2,463,801 3/1949 Page 210367 X 2,498,420 2/1950 Hemmeter 210-365 X 2,782,930 2/1957 Heckman 210-370 2,964,193 12/1960 Heckman 210 370 3,010,582 11/1961 Buizert 210 370 3,133,879 5/1964 Becker et a1 210-470 REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

J. DE CESARE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CENTRIFUGE COMPRISING A PAIR OF COAXIAL MUTUALLY SPACED STATIONARY TRUNNIONS, SAID TRUNNIONS HAVING A COMMON HORIZONTAL AXIS, AN ELONGATED ROTARY PERFORATED TAPERED DRUM EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TRUNNIONS AND HAVING AN AXIS COINCIDING WITH THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID TRUNNIONS, A PAIR OF BEARING MEANS RESPECTIVELY SURROUNDING AND FREELY ROTATABLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID TRUNNIONS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DRUM TO SUPPORT THE LATTER FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID DRUM HAVING IN ITS INTERIOR AN ELONGATED COMPLETELY UNOBSTRUCTED PORTION EXTENDING ALONG ITS AXIS, AND DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM AND FOR AXIALLY RECIPROCATING THE SAME, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DRUM THROUGH ONE OF SAID BEARING MEANS. 